Combination step and extension ladder.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

1 To.825,06 1. E. D. KOHNE.

COMBINATION STEP AND EXTENSION LADDER.

APPLIOATION FILED OOT,30, 1905.

' INVENTOR.

WITNESSES:

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. KOHNE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial No. 285,196.

To (LLZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. KOHNE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combination Step and Extension Ladder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved combination step and extension ladder particularly designed for use by fruit-pickers or the like, and has for its object the provision of improved means for pivotally connecting the sections thereof together and for locking the same in either extended position or in position to be used as a step-ladder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means adjacent the point of con nection of the ladder-sections that is adapted to act as a rung and to aid in locking the sec- I tions together when in extended position and to have its position changed to act as a broadened step when the sections are folded to form a step-ladder.

To this end the invention consists of cer tain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ladder, showing it locked in extended position with a portion of the lower section broken away. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same in such position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the hinged portion of my ladder, showing the position of the parts thereof when used as a stepladder. Fig. 4 is a similar view with the parts shown as locked in extended position, and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the coacting parts of the locking-clamp.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the side bars and 2 the steps or rungs of the lower section, and 3 the side bars and 4 the steps or rungs of the upper section, of my ladder. Secured in suitable manner to the upper end of each side bar 1 is a metal sleeve 5, preferably made in skeleton form, as shown, to lighten its construction, which sleeve is provided at its upper rear edge with an apertured bearing-lug 5 and adjacent to its lower front edge with a female clamping member 5 which has its outer surface longitudinally slotted to receive the shank of the bolt 6 and its lower surface transversely slotted to receive the tongue 7 of the male clamping member 7, carried by said bolt. Sleeves 8, of similar construction to the sleeve 5, are secured to the lower ends of each of the side bars 3 and are provided at their lower rear edges with bearing-lugs 8 which are hinged to the corresponding bearing-lugs 5 of the sleeves 5. The lower front edge of each sleeve 8 is formed with lugs 8 to which the upper end of the arm 9, carrying at its lower end the bolt 6, is pivoted. The lower end of each sleeve 8 is also formed with a V- shaped extension 8, which is positioned to overlap the inner face of the companion sleeve 5 at its upper end when the sections are extended in longitudinally-alining position, as shown in Fig. 4.

A board or step 10 is pivoted adjacent to the lower end of the top section of the ladder by reason of a rod 11 passing through the side bars and sleeves of said section at substantially a oint 11 therein and through said board a jacent to its upper or rear edge, according to its position. Suitable stri s of angle-iron 12 are secured to the ends 0 the board 10 to act as a strengthening means therefor. Provided in the apex of the portion 8 of each sleeve 8 is an aperture 13, which registers with an aperture 14 in the u per end of the corresponding sleeve of t e lower section when the sections are in extended position. Through these apertures and an alining aperture 15 in the board 10, when swung in parallel relation to the side bars of the sections, is inserted a pin 16, which is secured therein in any suitable manner and locks the two sections of the ladder against a folding or relative pivotal movement. The sections when in this position are further locked against independent movement by a locking of the clamping members 5 and 7, as shown. When the board 10is in the position shown in Fig. 4, its upper edge acts as a rung of the ladder and has substantially the same spacing as the other rungs. On the folding of the sections of the ladder to form a step-ladder, the pin 16 being first removed from the position shown in Fig. 4 and the clamps 5 and 7 released for that purpose, the board 10 is swung on its pivot 1 1 to substantially horizontal position to form the broadened top IIO step of the step-ladder and is supported in section and under the forward portion of the board, as shown at 17 in Fig. 3. The board is retained in contact with this pin, and the sections of the ladder are permitted to have a limited opening movement by reason of said pin passing through the elongated slots or slideways formed on the under side of the board by the brackets 18.

The sections of my ladder are shown as having their side bars converging from bottom to top, so that the side bars of both sections combine when extended to form an inverted- V-shaped ladder, thus providing a single point of hearing at the upper end of the ladder to facilitate its use in connection with the picking of fruit or other occupation requiring the placing of its upper end against uneven surfaces, such as the limbs of a tree. I do not Wish to restrict myself to this shape of ladder, however, as the features comprising the gist if my invention may be used in connection with aladder having either parallel or angularly-positioned side bars.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the sections of my ladder may be easily and quickly adjusted to form either a step or an extension ladder and that when in the former position the board 10 is disposed at an angle to the sections and acts as the top step of the ladder and when in the latter position said board is disposed in parallelism with the sections and has its upper edge positioned to act as a rung of the ladder, and that a single pin 16 17 is designed to lock it in either position of adjustment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the sections of a the inner ends of the side bars of the sections 4;

and having portions overlapping when in extended position and provided with registering apertures, a board pivoted between the side bars of one section adjacent its inner end, and means passing through said apertures and a portion of said board for locking the sections in extended position and the board in position for its upper edge to act as a rung.

2. The combination with the sections of a ladder, of hinged sleeves secured. to and connecting the inner ends of the side bars of the sections and having portions overlapping when in extended position and provided with registering apertures, a board or step pivoted between the side bars of one section adjacent its inner end, and a bolt passing through said apertures and a portion of the board or step whereby to lock the sections in extended 0- sition, and adapted to support the board in horizontal position when the sections are at an angle to form a step-ladder.

3. The combination with the-hinged laddersections, of a step pivoted between the side bars of one section, and common means for locking the step and the two ladder-sections each-against relative movements when the sections are in extended position and for supporting the step in horizontal position and permitting it and the ladder-sections to have limited relative movements when the sections are folded to form a step-ladder.

when the sections are in extended position,

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ROBERT D. KOHNE. Witnesses:

CORNELL SGHREIBER, C. W. OWEN. 

